


Growing Pains

by WHUMPBBY



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Cuddles, Don’t copy to another site, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Omega Jason Todd, baby Jay needs cuddles, baby jay, omegajasontoddweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 17:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20086117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WHUMPBBY/pseuds/WHUMPBBY
Summary: “Easy, Jaylad, easy. You’re okay, nothing is wrong, you just have to rest a bit.”Why did he have to rest? Didn’t he just wake up? Was Bruce leaving?!“No, no, I’ll stay if you want. I’ll stay with you, pup.”He wasn’t a pup anymore, he was fourteen! He wasn’t a big fourteen year old, but he wasn’t a baby!"Hush now, sleep."XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOmega Jason Todd Week Day 5 - Hurt/Comfort





	Growing Pains

_“Jason, calm down.”_

The voice spoke to him from very close and Jason tried to move his head, to turn into the direction it was coming from, but it felt like trying to move a bag of rocks. His body was heavy, too heavy to move, and his mind was sluggish, but still aware enough to recognise that something bad was happening. Something not right. He shouldn’t be just laying there, allowing someone to touch him and – undress him?

“Calm down, Jay, you’re at home, you’re safe... Jason!”

He knew that voice, even if he took a moment to place the big hands that gripped his shoulders when he tried to trash. He knew that voice, and he knew the scent surrounding him, heavy spice and leather, and smoke.

_Bruce. _

“Calm down,” the alpha’s low rumble was calming, even thought Jason’s heart took awhile to slow down. “I’m changing you into pajamas, pup, stay still for a moment.”

Bruce didn't often call him a _pup_, only when they were alone and the mood was right and they both forgot themselves enough to accept each other as family. It had the immediate effect of relying the importance of the request and had Jason calm down. Once that happened it was easy to understand what was going on with his body, to discern the feel of his favourite cotton drawstrings sliding up his legs and the string being tightened to keep them from slipping back down his skinny waist. He could feel that he was laying on a mattress and that his head rested on a pillow, and that Bruce was efficient in dressing him, but also very gentle. He couldn’t see very well, though, his sight was hazy and when he tried to focus it there was a stab of pain between his eyebrows.

He felt unwell, but in a vague way he couldn’t pinpoint precisely, and it was hard to gather his thoughts in order.

“_Bruce…_” his voice sounded strange too, high and reedy, like a child’s.

“Hush now, let me finish,” the man rumbled softly.

Strong hand slipped underneath Jason’s back and he was lifted so the shirt could be placed under him, then both arms were stuffed into the sleeves and Bruce’s big fingers did the buttons all the way up to his throat. It felt nice, to be cared for like that, even though it was also distressing that he needed it. Something wasn’t right with him and Bruce wasn’t telling him what it was, and his stupid brain decided to fixate on how pleasant his pajamas smelled.

“Bruce…” he whimpered. _Whimpered!_ “..._please…_”

A warm hand rested on his forehead and it felt so good his eyes watered. What was happening to him?!

“Easy, Jaylad, easy. You’re okay, nothing is wrong, you just have to rest a bit.”

Why did he have to rest? Didn’t he just wake up? Was Bruce leaving?!

“No, no, I’ll stay if you want. I’ll stay with you, pup.”

He wasn’t a pup anymore, he was fourteen! He wasn’t a big fourteen year old, but he wasn’t a baby!

"Hush now, sleep."

* * *

When he woke up the next time it was to the sun streaming into the bedroom through the windows placed on the side he wasn’t used to and the heavy spicy scent almost suffocating him. That’s how he knew he was in Burce’s bed before his sight managed to clear. The presence of the man himself made itself known when a big hand appeared in jason’s field of view to rest on his forehead. It felt nice and cool.

“You’re still running a slight fever,” Bruce spoke quietly. He wanted to take the hand away, but Jason grabbed it in both of his and held it in place, turning his face into the cool palm. “Alright,” the man chuckled. “Let me go for a second, pup, I’ll bring you a cold towel.”

Ugh, the pup again. He wasn’t a pup!

It would be easier to argue when he wasn’t trying to stuff his face into Bruce’s hand, for sure.

“Why‘m in’ere?”

Bruce somehow understood the mumble, probably because he was Batman. The hand retreated and Jason almost went with it, holding on for dear life. The world outside of it cool shadow was too bright and_ too much,_ and his stomach rolled when he tried to focus his vision on anything.

“You didn't want to sleep alone and I won’t fin in your bed,” the man explained as Jason burrowed against his chest. “You needed someone to look after you.”

Look after him?

Suddenly the weight of his bones and the mist surrounding his thoughts, and a vague memory of Bruce changing him into his pajamas made sense – there _was_ something wrong with him! Oh god, was he _dying_?!

Oh fuck, he was too drowsy to even panic properly.

“Wha’zzrong?” Was all he could mumble into the cotton of Bruce’s t-shirt, somehow unable to unglue his face enough to look the man in the face. Something in him wanted to stay curled up close like that more than anything. “Br’ss…” He wanted it so bad he could feel tears gather under his eyelids.

Bruce had to notice it, because he stroked Jason’s head an put an arm around him, pulling him close to his wide chest. “Nothing bad happened, Jay, calm down. You’re okay, son, you’re perfectly fine.”

He didn't feel like he was. He felt slow and soft, like his bones were made of playdough and there was this ache in his hip joints, and his nose felt all stuffy, and his throat hurt.

“Is it flu?” He finally managed to get out a full sentence.

Flu didn’t explain this strange need to cling to Bruce at all cost, but who knew, maybe it did? Jason wasn’t sick all that often, how could he know?

The hand on his head carded through his hair and Jason felt his throat vibrate, attempting to purr, which was another strange thing he never did before…

Oh.

OH!

He wanted to surge up with the new knowledge crystallising in his mind, but Bruce’s arm was heavy and his elbows were suddenly noodle-weak and all he managed to do was ramming his head into Bruce’s chin, leaving them both hissing in pain. Bruce less so, he was Batman after all and Jason’s head wasn’t all that hard (regardless of Alfred’s opinion on the matter).

“Am I… Bruce!” Jason tried to find the words to voice the realisation, but in his muddled state it was surprisingly hard. “Bruce!_ I’m..!_”

A big hand returned to his aching head and gently guided it back to lay on the alpha’s shoulder. “Yes, Jay,” the man confirmed with a tiniest smile hiding in the corner of his lips. “You’re presenting. Well, to be specific, you have presented yesterday, but as the event itself is just the beginning of the process… you still have a few days to go before you settle.”

Oh. It was – well, it was good, wasn’t it? He was finally presenting – early, at that, wasn’t it? Dick presented at sixteen, so Jason beat him to it! Nice! And, more than that, presenting meant he was becoming an adult, that he will be stronger and will finally grow bigger. That he will be a better Robin! That was good news!

But why did it make him feel so miserable? Form what he read in the biology books and parenting ones Bruce had in his office (that he didn't know Jason knew about), it shouldn’t be like that. He should be, uh, experiencing heightened senses… and be more energetic? Not this malaise and weakness.

Was something going wrong? Was _he _wrong? He was always too small, Alfred said it was because of malnutrition – was something wrong with him to make the presenting not-normal for him alone?

Oh no, he was a failure even in that!

“Jay?” Bruce’s voice took on an alarmed tone. “Jaylad, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

He was crying? Oh no, he was! He had no control over himself! He _was _a total failure!

Not unexpectedly, the thought made it even harder to control his emotions and the quiet sobs turned into full-blown weeping, tears and snot and everything included. Bruce flinched as if stung and sat up, pulling Jason into his lap, curling his arms around the boy protectively. He nuzzled the small tousled head, something that he didn't do all that often to his sons, and ran his hand up and down the boy’s heaving back in a motion meant to calm. “Jay, what’s wrong?”

“I d-don’t –know!” Jason whined between the sobs. “I’m… wrong! Am I w-wrong?”

“What? No, son, there’s nothing wrong about you!”

The calm reassurance in these words helped Jason catch his breath even though it did little to convince him. “B-but…! But I sh-should be… be fine...”

The gentle nuzzling returned. “You are fine, son. You’re only feeling sick because you presented on patrol.”

He presented during patrol?! He didn't remember!

_“I’m so-sorry!_”

“Shh, Jaylad, don't apologise. You did nothing wrong.”

“Indeed, there’s nothing to apologise for.” Alfred’s voice startled them both into flinching, the butler appearing seemingly out of nowhere at the bedside with a cart piled with –things Jason didn’t recognise. “Now, Master Jason, none of that.” He sat on the edge of the bed and framed Jason’s face with his hands, wiping off the tears gathered on the boy’s eyelashes. “Presenting out of the safety of one’s den is stressful enough, adding dangerous thugs to the mix is only asking for trouble and trouble we’ve got.” The older omega explained kindly, but with a bit of a pointed look towards his eldest ward – who had the grace to look away. “You’ve entered stress-heat, lad, which isn’t unusual for young boys and girls of our designation when certain factors align. It’s unfortunate to have your presentation marred by such occurrence, but in a couple days and with proper care you should be right as rain and back on your feet.”

Oh. When put like that it didn't sound so bad, not with Alfred explaining it so calmly and reasonably. And Bruce didn’t blame him for cutting patrol short, so… it made sense, to be honest, their job was dangerous and he was feeling a bit stressed before, so it made sense that something went wrong like that…

“Now, Master Bruce, if you would kindly leave me with the boy to perform necessary examinations and get yourself in order for breakfast?” It was spoken as a request, but they all knew it wasn’t.

It took a while to detach Jason from Bruce; not in the least because the alpha didn't want to let the pup go almost as much as the pup didn't want to be detached. In the end they resorted to Bruce pulling his t-shirt off and draping it over a pillow for Jason to curl around, providing the boy with the comforting scent of his alpha and father. He escaped the bedroom, shirtless and concerned, planning to return as soon as possible.

“Come, lad, let’s get this over with,” Alfred murmured, coaxing the boy to turn towards him. “Temperature first.”

Jason obediently presented his ear for the digital thermometer and his eyes for the pen-light, and didn’t even complain that much when the bright light hurt a bit. Alfred’s presence was soothing, his scent familiar and comforting, his no-nonsense approach calmed Jason further as the examination carried on.

“My tummy hurts,” he sobbed into the pillow when the butler asked him to lay on his back and straighten his legs out.

Alfred was very gentle as he poked his stomach and brought the stethoscope to his chest. “I’m sorry, my boy. As soon as we’re done here and you eat some breakfast, I’ll give you something for it. Wouldn't want to risk painkillers on an empty stomach again, would you?”

Next was a blood test, which Jason told himself wasn’t that bad, the lancet pricking his finger was tiny, but his brain insisted that it was, indeed, the worst thing to happen to him in years. Bring shot to the chest notwithstanding. Alfred had to coo at him to make the sobbing stop after that. “There, there, lad, almost over.”

Bruce’s absence was getting unbearable and Jason didn't know what to do, the pillow wasn’t helping. It was maddening how dependant he suddenly was on the pack alpha’s scent and warmth.

“There, done.” Alfred assured after another few minutes, packing the trolley away. “Leslie will come over tomorrow to check the rest of it. Now we can all have some breakfast downstairs.”

_The rest of it_ meant his parts, didn't it? Jason vaguely remembered it from the books, that all presenting pups needed to have checkups down there, omegas especially, but the logic of it was escaping him. He didn't want anyone checking him down there! He just wanted his dad to come back and cuddle him! He needed his alpha!

“Hush, Jay, I’m here.” Big arms surrounded him again and Jason curled into them. Bruce smelled fresh and soapy after his shower, so Jason nosed at his neck to reach the scent glands. “Let’s go downstairs and have some porridge, alright? Then we can spend the day in the den, watching movies.”

That sounded like a great plan. Except for one thing.

“Can Dick come in, too?”

“Jay, I…”

“I’ll call Master Richard to inquire about his availability.”

That –that was better. Alfred calling Dick could only have one outcome, because the older boy would never refuse the butler anything, so he’d come. That was so much better, it soothed something in Jason’s head, an unexpected need to have all of his pack close when he was at his most vulnerable. And Dick was vulnerable too, all alone in Buldhaven, without a pack to call his own, he had to be miserable. Jason wanted him to come back to the Manor and cuddle up with Bruce and him and Alfred…

Yeah, that was a nice idea, it felt _right_. He was the new omega of the pack, he needed to start taking care of them as soon as possible.


End file.
